Team Tuttle

My nephew is the cutest and, luckily for this auntie, my talented sister loves capturing photos of him to share with others.  The newest photos might be my all time favorite.  Ash is just too darn cute and such a little boy!  Check out Team Tuttle, but prepare yourself for the cuteness of rubber boots meets water puddles and the joy of carrying sticks! 

A Week of Drills

This week at school we had a fire drill on Monday, a severe weather drill on Thursday and a soft lock down drill on Friday.
Uff Da!
On Friday I sat on the floor with my Jumpstart students in a locked, quiet and dark room with my daily cup of hot chocolate thinking about how sad it is that we live in a society that has to practice for potentially imminent and horrendous violence. 
That thought completely scares me.
What would I do?
Would our system that's in place keep everyone out of harm's way?
What if someone left to go to the bathroom or was coming back from the Media Center?
Could I possibly keep everyone safe?
Hopefully in my career I'll never be in a position to have to actually answer any of these questions and I can just continue to facilitate drills upon drills upon drills.

Addendum:
This is why these drills get me thinking....
A kindergartner?!
Why would a six year old bring a loaded gun to school?!
Why does a SIX YEAR OLD have access to a LOADED GUN?!
Brazil Shooting
A 23 year old gunman kills twelve children between the ages of 10-13 before killing himself.

These may seem like they're far away (perhaps like Columbine out in Colorado); however, some stories of school violence are way too close to home...
Red Lake
Hastings Middle School 
Rocori High School

Here's to no violence happening on 4/20 this year and just more practicing of drills...

Easter Zombie Visit

Our visit to the Easter Bunny was a memorable one this morning!  Mark and I were in charge of two more kids, which, honestly, was a little worrisome at first (especially for Mark!).  However, it went off without a major hitch.  Andie slept the whole time we ate and Adele was so hungry that she spent most of the time sitting and eating instead of venturing out into the crowd.  Anthony was just glad to have Adele's company for eating breakfast and chair dancing that he did a fabulous job too.

After we finished eating we got into a very short line to await our turn with the big bunny.  (There might have been a reason the line was so short...)  Here's where the real adventure with the kiddos begins!

With hesitation and then growing terror Anthony quietly asks while starting to hide behind us,

"Where are the Easter Bunny's eyes?!"

Mark and I look up and then start to giggle.  Clearly the eyes spots are mesh so whoever is inside can see out.  However, the bunny does look quite morbid and scary for the wee ones.  It appears to have no eyes at all.  Nice.  We've brought the kids to zombie, freaky, horror show Easter Bunny!

When our turn came up both Anthony and Adele were hesitant to go sit with this big, fluffy eyeless bunny.  To show them all was well I put Andie down first right by the bunny.  (Sorry sweet girl!  You had no chance to opt out being you are such a little peanut.  Forgive me!)  Anthony felt a little more comfortable sitting down being that Andie was the buffer between him and horror bunny.  Adele, though, was a completely different story.  We put her to the right of the bunny and she immediately hopped off not wanting to spend even a second by this deranged creature.  So we placed her by the other A's. 

CHEESE!  

SMILE!  

LOOK HAPPY & NOT TOTALLY FREAKED OUT!

I just want to quickly get one cute shot...

(Notice how Anthony is totally holding onto Adele and she has a mixture of a smile, but mostly fear written all over her face...)

Upon hearing the crying Anthony checks out Adele to make sure she's okay, but is holding onto her with a death grip.

DON'T LEAVE ME!

Adele can't handle this anymore; she plans her escape even though Anthony is trying desperately to keep her by his side.  Andie's eyes plead with her big sissy, "TAKE ME TOO!  DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

 Um...where's Adele?

 Um...where's Andie?!

I have to sit here by myself?!

Are

you 

serious?!

Oh well.

I'll give a quick smile so momma can take the shot,
but then I am out of here!

See you later eyeless, horror, zombie bunny!
PS - Be sure to bring me treats when I'm up north
celebrating Easter, but I really don't need to see you again...

Babysitting A & A & A

This week we have had the pleasure of babysitting three special girls in our lives.  On Monday Adele came home with us from daycare, on Friday night Amalia was dropped off while her parents went on a much needed date night and then this morning Adele and Andersyn came by while their momma ran a race (in the snow!).  All three days were busy in the Hanson household and so much fun!  (Mark and I keep wondering and asking ourselves if we really could expand our family.  Adding another child seems like so much work...  The verdict is still out on that one!) 

A friend said that after this week I should think about taking a hiatus from babysitting and helping out. 

I.  

don't.  

think.  

so.  

I wish that there were more opportunities to spend time with the kiddos we love and don't always get the opportunity to see very often.  

Chubby Chubberton aka Asher

CJ and Nicky

Ella Bella and Lucy 

Clara and Sammy Pants

We certainly are blessed to have so many beautiful and wonderful children (and godchildren) in our lives.  Here's to more opportunities to play, snuggle and love up the little ones!

 Eighteen month old Adele Rufaro

Six month old Amalia Mae

Three month old Andersyn Kundai

So Gross!

Jenn and I showed up at work today unintentionally looking very twin-like with a few exceptions. We should have talk to each other the night before to get the shoes and hair just right and clearly there was nothing I could do to match the every growing LeRoy bump.
Right before the last block of the day we were standing together chatting and became surrounded by seventh graders.  Eventually someone in the crowd pointed out our matching outfits and asked if we had planned it.  Of course we joked around saying that we had and that we were BFF teacher friends.  One girl in the crowd asked all aghast, "You two are like friends outside of school in real life?"
When we explained that yes we were we got the best, middle school response EVER.
"That's gross."
HA!
Here's to having a "gross" out of work, real life relationship, Wonder Jenn, and awesome matching jail bird outfits today!

Wow, that's a lot!

Anthony was describing a bad dream he had about spiders last night at the dinner table.

"There were so many, daddy.  Like more than one."

He was so serious telling us his dream and trying to completely describe the awfulness of it.   I couldn't help but smile and look in wonder at this little boy who is growing up so fast.  I love his expressions and how he says things.  (Well, with the exception of poopie, butt, penis and all other words that four year old boys find hilarious to say.)

Triple A

Getting the opportunity to spend time with Adele and Andersyn makes for one happy Bubsa Boo!  Thanks for stopping by, Little Ladies!